October
2025

IN THIS ISSUE:

 

Edgefest 29 comes to the
Kerrytown Concert House

The 29th edition of Edgefest, the annual festival of new music, improvised and composed, offered by the Kerrytown Concert House, will take place from October 8 to 11. This year’s gathering, under the banner Speaking Out, features a myriad of artists spanning generations, some well-known, others beginning to make their mark, representing various styles and approaches, offering a rich panorama of some of the more innovative music-making of our time. Veterans such as the dean of New York’s downtown scene, bassist, poet, and composer William Parker, will be heard alongside young players such as saxophonist Marlena Boegdigheimer. The formats range from solo piano recitals by 2025 NEA Jazz Masters fellow (the nation’s highest honor in jazz) Marilyn Crispell and Marc Hannaford, duos such as baritone saxophonist Alex Harding with pianist Lucien Ban, cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum and bassist Ken Filiano, or percussionist Dave Hurley and trombonist Zekkereya El-Magharbel, to trio’s and larger ensembles. This music often celebrates sound and texture as much as melody and rhythm. Thus, Detroiter violinist Gwen Laster, long resident in New York, returns with her unique New MUSE4tet consisting of two violins, cello, and percussion that blends new written works with improvisation; in contrast, violinist and composer Jason Kao Hwang (above) will offer a recital played only pizzicato, without using the bow, reprising his recent CD Soliloquies that has garnered much critical praise. Hwang will also appear with his quartet in a special celebration of its 20th anniversary, featuring a reunion with the original cornetist in the group, his longtime friend and musical companion Taylor Ho Bynum. Percussionist-composer Ches Smith will bring his Tone Row quartet featuring two guitarists (Mary Halverson, Liberty Ellman). In celebration of the rich heritage of avant jazz, the trio of multi-instrumentalist Marty Ehrlich, bassist Hilliard Greene, and percussionist Pheeroan akLaff, will reprise compositions written by Pulitzer Prize-winning saxophonist Henry Threadgill for the magnificent trio Air that he co-founded in 1971.

Other groups will be led by well-known saxophonists Dave Rempis, Darius Jones, and pianist Myra Melford, who will be coming from both coasts. Our own area will be represented by groups led by tenor saxophonist Marlena Boegdigheimer, also saxophonist Ben Miller, pianists Michael Malis and Kenny Green, as well as by the aforementioned Dave Hurley & Zekkereya El-Magharbel Duo.

As has become the tradition, an Edgefest warmup will take place at Ziggy’s in Ypsilanti (206 Michigan Ave.) on September 30 at 7:30 pm. Performing will be the trio of long-time collaborators Ken Kozora on cornet and other instruments, Piotr Michalowski, saxophones and clarinets, and Kenn Thomas on keyboards, with guest artists guitarist Shoshke-Rayzl Yuni and mezzo soprano Deanna Relyea, the artistic director of the festival.

A highlight of the festival will be the traditional march around the Farmer’s Market in Ann Arbor at noon on Saturday, where festival artists and audience members join students from Scarlett Middle School who will have spent two days working with a festival artist as part of the Edgefest mentoring outreach.
A full schedule can be found on page 5 of this newsletter., the annual festival of new music, improvised and composed, offered by the Kerrytown Concert House, will take place from October 8 to 11. This year’s gathering, under the banner Speaking Out, features a myriad of artists spanning generations, some well-known, others beginning to make their mark, representing various styles and approaches, offering a rich panorama of some of the more innovative music-making of our time. Veterans such as the dean of New York’s downtown scene, bassist, poet, and composer William Parker, will be heard alongside young players such as saxophonist Marlena Boegdigheimer. The formats range from solo piano recitals by 2025 NEA Jazz Masters fellow (the nation’s highest honor in jazz) Marilyn Crispell and Marc Hannaford, duos such as baritone saxophonist Alex Harding with pianist Lucien Ban, cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum and bassist Ken Filiano, or percussionist Dave Hurley and trombonist Zekkereya El-Magharbel, to trio’s and larger ensembles. This music often celebrates sound and texture as much as melody and rhythm. Thus, Detroiter violinist Gwen Laster, long resident in New York, returns with her unique New MUSE4tet consisting of two violins, cello, and percussion that blends new written works with improvisation; in contrast, violinist and composer Jason Kao Hwang (top) will offer a recital played only pizzicato, without using the bow, reprising his recent CD Soliloquies that has garnered much critical praise. Hwang will also appear with his quartet in a special celebration of its 20th anniversary, featuring a reunion with the original cornetist in the group, his longtime friend and musical companion Taylor Ho Bynum. Percussionist-composer Ches Smith will bring his Tone Row quartet featuring two guitarists (Mary Halverson, Liberty Ellman). In celebration of the rich heritage of avant jazz, the trio of multi-instrumentalist Marty Ehrlich, bassist Hilliard Greene, and percussionist Pheeroan akLaff, will reprise compositions written by Pulitzer Prize-winning saxophonist Henry Threadgill for the magnificent trio Air that he co-founded in 1971.

Other groups will be led by well-known saxophonists Dave Rempis, Darius Jones, and pianist Myra Melford, who will be coming from both coasts. Our own area will be represented by groups led by tenor saxophonist Marlena Boegdigheimer, also saxophonist Ben Miller, pianists Michael Malis and Kenny Green, as well as by the aforementioned Dave Hurley & Zekkereya El-Magharbel Duo.

As a Detroit preview to this year’s Edgefest, Ginko Records will host a duo concert by two of the city’s finest musicians, saxophonist Tony Holland and drummer Djallo Djakate on Tuesday, October 7, at 7:00 pm. The address is 3546 Michigan Ave Detroit 48216 (entrance is free, but donations accepted).

As has become the tradition, an Edgefest warmup will take place at Ziggy’s in Ypsilanti (206 Michigan Ave.) on September 30 at 7:30 pm. Performing will be the trio of long-time collaborators Ken Kozora on cornet and other instruments, Piotr Michalowski, saxophones and clarinets, and Kenn Thomas on keyboards, with guest artists guitarist Shoshke-Rayzl Yuni and mezzo soprano Deanna Relyea, the artistic director of the festival.

A highlight of the festival will be the traditional march around the Farmer’s Market in Ann Arbor at noon on Saturday, where festival artists and audience members join students from Scarlett Middle School who will have spent two days working with a festival artist as part of the Edgefest mentoring outreach.

Wednesday, October 8

6:00 pink marlena trio; Marc Mannaford, solo piano
7:30 Dave Hurley & Zekkereya El-Magharbel duo
8:30 Dave Rempis’ Truss Quartet
9:30 Air Legacy

Thursday, October 9

7:00 Ben Miller’s 11th Hour Quartet
8:00 Jason Kao Hwang’s Soliliques
9:00 Myra Melford’s SPLASH
10:00 Ches Smith’s Clone Row

Friday, October 10

7:00 Taylor Ho Bynum & Ken Filano Duo
8:00 Malis / Shead / Jesalva / Washington
9:00 Alex Harding & Lucien Ban’s DARK BLUE
10:00 Parker / Christi / TA Thompson / Nicholson /Yamamoto

Saturday, October 11

2:00 Kenny Green’s Cosmic Music Collective
3:00 Marilyn Crispell, solo piano
4:00 Darius Jones Trio
7:30 Gwen Laster’s NewMuse 4Tet
8:30 Jason Kao Hwang’s EDGE